Teen daughter pregnant — who pays?

My 19-year-old daughter is pregnant. The father is not equipped to deal with it. Do I have to get her health insurance? Will I be held for her hospital and doctor bills? Will she be able to get care, without insurance?

Connecticut Grandmother-To-Be

Dear Connecticut Grandmother-To-Be,

If you have health insurance, you can add your daughter to your plan. She has to be unmarried and a resident of Connecticut, or a full-time student. (Health reform allows you to cover children up to age 26.)

However, you are not required to give her health insurance. Since she is over age 18, her hospital and doctor bills cannot land on you either. She is legally an adult, responsible for her own bills.

Update: Connecticut’s rules about young adults coverage are supplanted by the federal health reform rules. Therefore, the teen daughter can be married, living in another state, and her student status is not relevant. My thanks to an alert reader for pointing this out!